The present application relates to attachments for lift trucks, and in particular to load-gripping clamp pads for opposable clamp arms that can be mounted on a lift truck to grasp an object such as a carton or a pallet.
Clamp arms can be mounted on a lift truck and arranged for lateral movement toward and away from each other to grasp or release a load, such as a large carton or a pallet on which an object is supported. Such clamp arms may be equipped with clamp pads that often include a surface layer that may incorporate material or have a texture intended to grasp a load securely. Particularly where such clamp arms are used routinely for grasping and lifting loads carried on pallets, the lower portions of clamp pads, and particularly the surface layers, are subject to greater wear than the upper portions. As a result, the ability of the lower portions of the clamp pads to grasp a load securely may be significantly reduced after a time. While the entire surface layer of a clamp pad could be replaced from time to time, such replacement could be costly and time-consuming, as well as being a waste of the capability of all but the lower portion of each clamp pad to continue to serve adequately for grasping loads.
What is needed, therefore, is a clamp arm or clamp pad of which individual worn or otherwise deteriorated portions can be replaced easily and quickly when necessary and without the effort and expense of replacing an entire clamp pad.